While the Pyrenees in the South of France is not the first place you'd think of when vacationing, it offers great skiing vacations, particularly if you are looking for a cost-effective way to ski.

Most people have heard of Andorra and the fact that it is one of the cheapest places to ski, due mainly to a tax free economy. There are some great deals to be had here, at the two lesser known resorts, Monts d'Olmes and Ax Les Thermes, both of which lie about an hour and a half south of Toulouse.

There are plenty of options for getting to both resorts, including flying into Toulouse or Carcassonne, getting a train or a bus and of course, the driving and hiring car options.

While the Monts d'Olmes is not that well known, it's really not a bad little resort. Besides with runs for skiiers with different ski levels, it is ideal for a family skiing location.

The resort is at a fairly low altitude, so there is a need to check the snow forecasts and conditions and to have a contingency plan in place. Also, as it can be a bit tricky on the mountain roads if a snow storm comes in, so it is a good idea to be prepared with an appropriate vehicle

The Ax Les Thermes on the other hand, lying on the way to Andorra, is a larger resort and offers 28 runs. Another serious benefit of Ax Les Thermes is that it can be accessed from the main road to Andorra via a gondola, thus avoiding the need for driving up and down a mountain road.The runs at Ax Les Thermes are much longer and provide better runs for the advanced level winter sports enthusiast.

Ax Les Thermes has a good mix of gondolas, chairs and draglifts. Thus, you can save all your energy for the skiing and still get the degree of difficulty you are looking for. Monts d'Olmes on the other hand has only one chairlift and the rest of the lifts are of the drag variety. However, the chair takes you almost to the top so you can get a good run all the way to the bottom.

Ski passes can be bought from increments of 1/2 days up to several days and you should obviously check out the tarriffs for the best deals. There are special family days (1/2 days excluded) and student passes are available at reduced cost. Ski equipment, snowboarding equipment and toboggons are all available for hire at a reasonable cost.

Even for those not into skiing, Ax Les Thermes has a lot to offer. Being a spa town with hot springs it is just as well visited in the summer, as in the winter.